The Proper Way to Enjoy Coffee, As Explained by Science

If you’re in the habit of pouring yourself a cup of coffee and drinking it whole the moment you wake up, we’ve got some news for you: that’s not the right way to enjoy it and get its full effect.

Scientists say that long before coffee was even a thing – yes, we’ve lived through such dark ages – the human body evolved to produce a very special hormone dubbed cortisol, a.k.a. (11β)-11,17,21-trihydroxypregn-4-ene-3,20-dione, if you want the official moniker.

This hormone is designed to make us more alert. The human body produces it in high levels during times of stress, when the fight-or-flight response kicks in, but also to help us make it through the day.